More Than Luck
by Munkii
Summary: There is more to the four school training camp then just mah-jong. A short story focusing on Nodoka/Saki. Continuation TBA Summer 2010.
1. Chapter 1

The training camp hall had grown quieter as the day had progressed. Dinner would be soon and the day's round of mah-jong matches would soon come to a close. The last hanchan was pleasantly underway on multiple tables, closing up as the setting sun was enveloped by the horizon. The sound of clicking tiles could be heard constantly, interrupted occasionally by the voices of the players as they completed melds.

"Haramura-san," Mihoko said in wonderment, gazing with one eye open to Nodoka, "It's your turn." She smiled at the dazed high school student to her right, half hoping the well-recognized player wouldn't realize she had just dropped a pinzu-five. The tanyao in place beside Nodoka was easy to see and she had good reason to believe someone would take such a useful tile.

Especially Nodoka. Especially the esteemed player that systematically played through every hand, comparing odds in her mind with each draw of a tile and just as simply shutting out other players from taking her discards by the same logic. She was well known for never leaving an opening, but perhaps even more well known for always being in tune with the tiles on table.

However, it didn't seem that way now. Nodoka turned to Mihoko with an almost dumbfounded expression on her face. "Ah, I'm sorry," she said at last.

"Are you okay, Haramura-san?" Mihoko asked hesitantly, concerned about the underclassman from Kiyosumi who was not unlike her own.

"Yes, I'm okay." Nodoka replied simply, smiling as she gazed down at the board, her neutral game face soon returning. "That was a dangerous discard," she adding, promptly dropping the same tile.

The game continued on, and yet as it rolled through the last South wind, Nodoko's mind was not particularly focused on it. It had indeed been a long day, most of the high schoolers in the room were rather frazzled from playing for so long, but neither of these were fitting reasons for Nodoka's present mood.

"Tsumo. Toitoi."

Saki's voice carried clearly through the air. They had been practically sitting back to back during the whole of this last round, and Nodoka once again restrained from turning around to glance at the androgynous looking girl she had spent so much time with that day. Towards the end of the afternoon, that voice had captured Nodoka's attention more then once. And more then once, she had dropped the wrong tile or missed a discard.

_"A simple toitoi isn't like you, Saki-... Saki-san,"_ Nodoka thought, staring blankly at her own tiles that couldn't match the score of even the two-han hand of a basic toitoi. She blushed at the thought of using Saki's first name, and suddenly the realization of Saki's strange play was out of her mind. She glanced at the strange creature resting in her right hand at her side. Saki had given it to her earlier that day during their gift exchange. Nodoka had picked out a penguin like creature, and yet while Saki's gift was a mystery animal, it still managed to be completely adorable at the same time.

_"Adorable... Like, like... Saki-san."_

"Hey, Haramura-san..." Mihoko prompted again, this time a look of concern on her face. Even her closed eye was furrowed in worried curiosity. "You're doing it again."

Nodoko looked back up quickly, blushing more. "Ah, I'm sorry, again..." She pulled a tile from the wall, and seeing that it was a North tile, dropped the rather useless and currently completely safe discard back onto the table.

"It's not good to be spacing out during a match," Mihoko added, secretly hoping for an explanation, but no luck.

Nodoko continued to face the table. "I know." 

Etopen was firmly in Nodoka's grasp, staring blankly back at the curious opponents that stared at her. She glanced back down to her hand without noticing their expressions. The strange animal had not moved, but she had hoped that perhaps maybe it would have been replaced by the one thing more meaningful than a gift from Saki, that one thing being Saki herself.

"Kan."

_"That's more like her,"_ Nodoka noticed silently. Saki's voice overwhelmed her senses for the briefest of moments, and as the sensation faded away she was left with the desire to be overwhelmed again. She wondered if it would be possible to lean back just enough to feel the warmth of Saki's body against her own. She wondered if she could hold the dear girl that night.

"Ron. Ippatsu Riichi Dora-dora. 30 fu." Mako said, excitement in her voice as she needlessly adjusted her glasses. "3,900 from each." A groan could be heard from the other players at the table, and Mihoko sighed as she pushed her meld of East dora towards the center of the table.  
_  
"Oh, that's right: Mako is dealer," _Nodoka thought to herself, fishing for scoring sticks from her tray. When she found that she could only pull two from the stash, she looked down to find that she had not only forgotten who was dealer, but that she had had a meager 2,000 points left for the last four plays. _"Oh."_

"I guess that's game, Nodoka-san." Mako mentioned easily, and Nodoka nodded. "It looks like you could use a good meal and some rest."

_"And a warm Saki-san..."_ Nodoka smiled to herself, looking up at Mako. "You are probably right." She turned around to find the beautiful person known as Saki looking at her with a worried expression on her face.

"Are you okay, Hara... Er, Nodoko-chan?" Saki asked, a blush spreading from ear to ear. She averted her eyes from Nodoko only to find a grinning Mako staring at her with an expression of absolute understanding.

"I get it now," Mako laughed. "I'll leave you to it." She finished pushing the tiles into the drum under the green felt surface of the mah-jong table, then stood up to leave.

Mihoko and the quiet Momoko followed suit, and soon Nodoka found she had little reason to be so far from Saki, who's game was still in progress, hanging on as Yuuki, the third dealer of the South round, tried valiantly to get out of third place with what appeared to be a sanshouku.

"Mind if I watch while you finish?" Nodoka asked softly, and Saki nodded, smiling. She moved up to Saki's side and sat next to her, watching in silence as the lucky girl pulled a souzu-three into her hand to complete a concealed quad. Saki was going for a toitoi again, but this time it was more her style.

"Kan."  
_  
"It would have been fabulous if she had been in tenpai,"_ Nodoka mused, wishing that she might have had the opportunity to witness another rinshan kaihou. A fresh tile came into Saki's hand, but it was not particularly useful and promptly dropped back on the table. _"She's going to stick to her toitoi... It's her best chance at her favorite play... I guess I don't know about this luck thing, but... Saki-san still has something."  
_  
"Oh well," Saki whispered uncharacteristically, not seeming to mind if she gave away a hint at her position this game. A smile peaked across her face as she took Nodoka's hand into hers, glancing quickly at the champion mah-jong player she adored so much. "Rinshan... would have been fun, hmm?"

"You could have held the tile a bit," Nodoka whispered back, but Saki shook her head.

"Not this time. I'll manage." A mysterious, yet happy expression appeared on Saki's face, and Nodoka couldn't help but let butterflies wander around in her chest. Saki glanced back to the table. A souzu-one had been dropped to her right, and now the player across, a Kazehoshi girl, had just dropped a South wind tile. "Pon."

Nodoka looked back to the tile in Saki's hand. It took a moment to realize what Saki had meant, but as the South wind tile was brought in from across the table, it was readily apparent why the brown haired prodigy had not waited to kan. If she had kept the tile in her hand for even one round she would have had to drop a tile from a pair - After a pon is always a discard... Not a kan, and if Saki had dropped any tile, she would been furiten for at least a few turns as she cycled her wait. Another two tiles clicked on the table, and it was East's turn again.

Tentatively, Nodoka glanced to Saki's right to find a rather disgruntled Yuuki with a pinzu 1 through 3, and a manzu 1 through 3, sitting haphazardly on the end of her right corner. Nodoka smiled behind the poker face she was wearing. Poor Yuuki. There was no way she could complete her hand like this, and what's more... Saki was tenpai.

_"Saki only sees Rinshan kaihous too, I guess. But it won't happen this game."_ Nodoka mused. _"In order to block out Yuuki from a possible win, she rushed the kan rather than risking the possibility of having to drop a souzu-two or three."_

Grumpily, Yuuki pulled a tile, then subsequently dropped it after quickly scanning the discard piles, having found one already on the table from not very long ago, and glancing at Saki's discards she noticed two souzu-five. She would have no need for inner tiles, her best chance now was to go for a chanta, and so the souzu-six dropped from her hand without a second thought. Saki removed her hand from Nodoka's, and Yuuki's mouth dropped open in realization before any words could be uttered.

One needed two hands to flip a row of tiles over.

"Ron. Honitsu dabunan toitoi dora. Haneman." Saki rolled her hand face-up on the table, then returned her left hand to Nodoka's waiting grasp, giving her's a gentle squeeze. "I guess that's it for this game."

"You can't even see my scoring sticks!" Yuuki protested animatedly, the left shoulder of her yukata falling down yet again to a not so modest position.

"No, but I've been keeping track of your points this whole game," Saki replied easily. "I'm sorry I spoiled your hand."

"Well..." Yuuki started, but she looked at the tray in front of her to find that she was 700 points short. "I could have sworn I had a few thousand more."

"Maybe there will be tacos for dinner," Nodoka chimed in, putting a smile on Yuuki's face instantly.

"Ah, you're right! It's dinner time!" With renewed vigor, Yuuki shoved her tiles into the center of the table and stood up. "I'm off to the food!" Just as quickly as she had recovered from her defeat, she had disappeared out of the room and down the central hallway. The voice of Hisa scolding Yuuki followed soon after.

Saki turned back to Nodoka, a gentle smile and blush on her face. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, shall we go eat together?" Nodoka responded, a similar expression occupying her features. Receiving a nod from Saki, she stood up, offering her hand back to the delicate seeming girl still sitting at her side.

Brown eyes followed Nodoka up, staring with rapt attention. Saki's blush grew as she raised her hand to meet with Nodoka's, but it wasn't out of embarrassment. The remaining girls in the room were still intently playing mah-jong, but they wouldn't have wondered or asked questions anyways. Perhaps they had even already assumed that they were close. But certainly, it must have been apparent too.

Regardless of the external conditions, Saki didn't blush because of them. Receiving Nodoka's full attention was all it took to make the blood rush to her face. All it took was the knowing that Nodoka was there for her like she had been earlier that day, chasing after her after she had been upset over the status of her family situation. It was Nodoka that always came to save her, and now that same hand was reached out to her again. Saki took it gratefully.

Walking down the hallway together, hands intertwined peacefully, Saki turned to her companion.

"I feel bad that you lost your game, Nodoka-.. chan," Saki commented.

"It's okay, I wasn't paying attention."

"Is everything okay?" Saki asked, letting her body sidle closer to Nodoka's as they continued their stroll. Nodoka turned to her, the pink in her face had not yet disappeared. It was clearly not helping that Saki's shoulder was lightly brushing hers.

"Everything is great, sometimes I forget I am here to play mah-jong." Nodoka replied, scant hesitation in her voice. "I am just happy being here with you."

Saki blushed, fumbling for words that she didn't know how to use. It seemed like she wanted to convey something with detail, but she couldn't bring herself to action. "Thank you," she said at last. She was shy with her finer words even though her actions sometimes spoke very loud and clear.  
_  
"You're cute when you don't know what to say; when you are embarrassed, Saki-san..."_ Nodoka thought to herself, smiling and looking back towards the end of the hallway. _"I guess I won't embarrass you anymore, for now."_

- - -

**Beta:** karaus (Thank you!)

**Mah-jong Notes:**  
pon: take a player's discard to meld into triplet  
kan: take a player's discard to meld into quad or take four of the same tile from your hand and display then on the table as a concealed quad. After a kan (which is then treated as a meld), a supplemental tile is drawn.  
pinzu: Circle/Coin Tiles/suit  
souzu: Bamboo Tiles/suit  
manzu: Kanji/Character/"10,000" Tiles/suit  
pinzu-five: The five of pinzu. Fives are usually dangerous discards because they are the middle tile of every suit, and additionally because they are prepared for pon/chi/ron because of the red dora tiles  
tanyao: No terminals (1's or 9's), No honors (Wind/direction, Dragon)  
tsumo: Self-drawn winning tile.  
toitoi: 4 triplets and 1 pair  
han: scoring unit in Japanese Mahjong  
dora: worth 1 han  
dora-dora: 2 dora in hand  
riichi: Can be declared when you have a concealed hand and you are waiting on for one last tile  
ippatsu: winning within one turn of riichi  
fu: small scoring unit in Japanese Mahjong.  
meld: 3 tiles, either a triplet or sequence.  
chinitsu: single suit hand. 5 han open/6 han closed  
sanshouku (doujun): same sequence in all three suits. 1 han open/2 han closed  
tenpai: waiting on one tile to win  
dabunan: A meld of South tiles worth 2 han  
chanta: terminal or honor in each set  
yaku: Essentially the basis for hand that can be won with, each yaku are worth different han  
furiten: Being unable to win because it is possible to win on a tile you have discarded

**Saki's Hand Through Kans:**  
So - South, S# - Souzu  
**After First Kan:** [So][So] [S6][S6] [S3][S3][S3] [S1][S2][S2] **Table:** [S8][S8][S8][S8]  
**Pre-Second Kan:** [So][So] [S6][S6] [S3][S3][S3][S3] [S1][S2][S2] ** Table:** [S8][S8][S8][S8]  
**Post-Second Kan:** [So][So] [S6][S6] [S1][S2][S2] ** Table:** [S8][S8][S8][S8][S3][S3][S3][S3]  
**Post-South Pon:** [S6][S6][S2][S2] ** Table:** [S8][S8][S8][S8][S3][S3][S3][S3][So][So][So] 


	2. Chapter 2

The cafeteria was rather busy. The last time there had been a mah-jong camp, there had only been six of them. The feeling of being around so many people might have been unpleasant, but considering that they were all generally well acquainted now, Nodoka thought it was quite okay, and the fact that they all had a love for the same game was fantastic.

Looking towards the service counter, it appeared as though it was Ryuumonbuchi's turn for kitchen duty. Touka's voice was rather hard to miss as she gave instructions to Koromo, and peering over Nodoka could make out the red ears of Koromo's favorite headband. Saki, who was walking into the menagerie of players with Nodoka, smiled.

"Koromo-san is cute, isn't she?" Saki commented, leading Nodoko towards the counter. It was neat and tidy, though a few food items in particular had been wiped out completely. It seemed that Ryuumonbuchi had done an impressive job that evening.

_"Not as cute as you,"_ Nodoka thought, smiling to herself for perhaps the millionth time that day, feeling fortunate to be with Saki, holding her hand. She couldn't remember any other day when they had spent so much time together. Even the summer festival, which wasn't very long ago, could not compare to today. _"Things really started for us that evening, maybe."_

Nodoka approached the food counter and began to prepare a plate, selecting a few of her favorites.__

"That may not be entirely true though. Saki had mentioned the thunderstorm incident around that time as well..." Nodoka remembered, the smell of the food no longer reaching her senses as memories resurfaced.

Nodoka had chased after Saki during that storm, before Saki was even a member of the club. And even though her memories of that day were clear, including her anger at how Saki treated the game of mah-jong, she could not for the life of her specifically place a finger on why she had haphazardly chased down the girl with short brown hair in the middle of a rainstorm. If there had been one time in her entire school career that she had been so out of her own character... Certainly it was that. Certainly there was more to Saki then just a fateful meeting that happened by chance. What had driven her to pursue Saki with such dedication?

"I'm going to visit the bathroom, Nodoka-chan." Saki said, her voice pulling Nodoka from her reverie. She set her tray down on the table.

"I'll be right here," Nodoka replied as she sat down next to where Saki would be seated shortly. Across from her was none other then Mako and Yuuki. Mako eyed her curiously.

"You know, at some point you have to share the details." Mako commented, grinning. Her dinner, or what remained of it, revealed that at some point there had been octopus on the counter.

"Details?" Nodoka asked, finally taking a bite of food after a long afternoon.

"You expect two dozen mah-jong players to not notice that you are calling Saki-san by her first name now?" Mako replied concisely. She wasn't one to avoid the subject at hand, as Nodoka had learned over the coarse of their time together.

Nodoka turned her eyes to look at Mako directly. The green-haired upperclassmen, with her glasses glinting in the light of the cafeteria, had a point. Mako's focus away from the game was just as good as during a back to back hanchan. She glanced to Yuuki, who wasn't particularly paying attention to the conversation as she worked on the copious amounts of octopus inspired foods before her.

"Well," Nodoka began, taking another piece of nigiri off her plate. "Things seem to be changing."

"I would think so! You know, the first indicator being that you completely spaced that last game out. Oh, and then you cuddled up to her..." Mako started. Her ammunition was clearly loaded.

"I did not cuddle up!" Nodoka said suddenly, her face turning beet red. "I moved closer to watch her play."

"You held her hand. You were holding hands when you walked in here too!" Mako was laying it out now, and Nokoda was under the distinct impression she was enjoying this for some diabolical yet pointless reason.

In retrospect, however, this could very well be some plan of Hisa's. It would not have been a surprise if Hisa had recruited Mako to keep an eye on her and Saki, especially after the incident at the _onsen _earlier that day. Furthermore, Hisa was so busy with the training camp that she probably wouldn't be able to spare even one eye to keep watch on them._ "That's probably it."_

"We did not cuddle up." Nodoka insisted, returning from her thoughts.

"You wanted to."

_"She is right,"_ Nodoka mused to herself again._ "I guess we are more obvious then I thought."_

"I'll take that as a yes." Mako glanced towards the door that Saki had exited from, "And, you know, Yuuki-san tells me that Saki-san destroyed her as soon as you moved up next to her."

"She didn't destroy me!" Yuuki protested, joining the fray, unintimidated by the matter at hand.

"So what do you call it when you go negative?" Mako asked calmly.

"I was hungry."

"I see." Mako grinned and turned back to Nodoka. "You'd think Saki-san was trying to show off for you, you know. I didn't see the hand, but..."

Nodoka smiled, Mako had a pretty good intuition. She must have heard when Saki only claimed a basic toitoi the round before, as well.

"Saki-san did pass up tenpai in order to get a toitoi yaku." Nodoka could almost hear bragging in her voice, and deftly trying to make her last words more modest she fished for another bite of food with her chopsticks. Remembering part of the motivation for Saki's move, she added, "Well, Saki-san was blocking Yuuki's play too. The souzu-two was a dangerous drop at that point."

"I believe you," Mako explained with satisfaction, Nodoka's tone of voice proving her theory the moment she had opened her mouth. "It's a shame you won't be able to hold her hand during Nationals."

_"It certainly is,"_ Nodoka thought, only replying with a nod of her head to Mako. The older girl had her zeroed-in this evening, and she found herself looking forward to Saki's return more and more. If not to be next to the girl that seemed to occupy her every waking thought lately, but to give her a break from Mako's mah-jong infused relationship centric interrogation.

"You should spend more time alone with her while we are here," Mako suggested thoughtfully, her tone adjusting into something softer. She leaned forward so that not even Yuuki could hear, "There are no parents here to give you needless trouble, and..."

"And?" Nodoka asked, curious.

"Well, her family situation doesn't sound so pleasant. Who do you think she's going to turn to when she needs someone?"

"She's a little shy about asking for help," Nodoka noted, and Mako nodded.

"Not shy enough to come to you when she needs it. She may not call you in the middle of the night, but you seem to have a knack for reading her when she doesn't have words." Mako retreated back into her seat. "Anyways, I'll leave Yuuki to you. I think I'll be off to clean up."

Standing up with her tray, Mako took her leave just as Saki was returning from the bathroom.

"Someyo-senpai," Nodoka called.

Mako turned around with a smile.

"Thank you."

Mako put up a hand in acknowledgement, then turned around once more to head off. Saki sat down next to Nodoka moments later, her stomach rumbling.

"Are you okay, Saki-san?" Nodoka asked, suddenly becoming aware that Saki had been away for longer then a quick trip to the restroom. In that same moment she chastised herself for forgetting about Saki's whereabouts.

"Oh, yea, I'm okay... I just kind of took a wrong turn on the way back." Saki explained sheepishly, glancing at Nodoka in mild embarassment. This wasn't the first time this had happened.

"I'm glad you're back now," Nodoka said. "Let's eat, it sounds like you're hungry."

"A little, I think."

A moment of quiet ensued, with only the clicking of chopsticks as Saki picked hers up. Nodoka, having just turned back to her plate in thought, faced Saki once more as she forced out a bout of hesitation for the third time that day.

"Saki-san... After dinner, will you go with me somewhere?" Nodoka asked, knowing full well the answer she would receive but still feeling a bit of a knot form just the same. A knot that did not form because it was hard to ask the question. No, that was not it. Nodoka had other things planned, of course, and it was those things that had given her the slightly uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"Of course! Where are we going?" Saki asked excitely. It was easy to make her smile.

"It's a secret," Nodoka replied, taking her right hand and mingling it with Saki's left. She met Saki's smile with her own, and for a brief moment their eyes locked.

"Hmm?" Yuuki looked up from her meal, her ears perked and her eyes widening at the thought of a daring adventure. "Secret place?"

"Yes, I want to take Saki-san with me," Nodoka replied calmly, diverting her attention from Saki and wondering if the feisty auburn-brown haired girl had put together the pieces of her conversation with Mako at all. Right now it didn't seem that way, which wasn't particularly surprising.

"But I want a rematch!" Yuuki demanded enthusiastically, her chopsticks hitting the table much like the scoring stick during a riichi, as she stood up in challenge. "Tonight!"

Saki glanced away from Yuuki, turning to Nodoka easily in a simple, purposeful motion. Her mouth was open a little, and her eyes showed a hint of worry. Her expression was clear as daylight.

Nodoka smiled, "Not tonight, Saki-san and I already have plans."

"You just made those plans!" Yuuki countered. "I'm going to be all alone tonight!"

"I propose a compromise: We play mah-jong tomorrow after breakfast." Nodoka replied with an unmovable air. There was no way Yuuki was going to finagle a spot into her plans with Saki tonight, mah-jong or no mah-jong involved.

"But we are already going to play tomorrow morning!" Yuuki stated, flustered with the situation, especially since she knew she wouldn't be winning it. She may have tuned out most of the words that had been exchanged between Nodoka and Mako only minutes before, but the endless energy in her wanted to be, perhaps selfishly, included.

"I guess we don't have anything to worry about then." Nodoka replied matter-of-factly.

"Nodoka-.. chan," Saki whispered, feeling as though she was suddenly in a tug of war between her classmates. It may not have been fair that she adored one over the other, but still... She leaned over to Nodoka. "Is it really okay if we go and... umm..."

Nodoka blushed, Saki's words had, by accident, been romantic in the strange way that only Saki could possibly execute. She smiled, taking them in as scenery to a story she was already dead-set on playing out.

"Not tonight, Yuuki. Do you know why?" Nodoka asked, her tone authoritative now.

"Maybe."

"Then you understand why?"

Yuuki grumbled to herself for a moment before giving in. "I guess."

"Umm, Nodoka-chan... Maybe we can spend time together with Yuuki-san afterwords tonight for a little bit?" Saki said thoughtfully.

_"Saki-san is so sweet,"_ Nodoka thought to herself. _"She doesn't like to leave people out, but she was so excited to say yes to me too. She's probably a little torn."_

Yuuki had heard the words clearly, however she doubted Nodoka's approval and said nothing. It was therefor surprising when Nodoka agreed with a nod after a few moments of introspection. Renewed vigor spread throughout Yuuki's limbs as they suddenly came to life with unkempt energy.

"Really!?"

"As long as we don't get back too late," Nodoka replied. "Takei-senpai might scold us if we are up too long past bedtime."

"You have a deal!" Yuuki replied happily, moving her chopsticks onto her tray as she prepared to leave the table. "In the meantime I will have my revenge on someone else!"

"Please win one for me," Saki requested softly, smiling.

Nodoka was caught in a gaze as she stared across the table to where Yuuki had just been standing moments before. Saki turned to her with the same smile she had given to Yuuki, and Nodoka's gaze shifted to the girl she presently held hands with. Several food items still remained on her plate, but she had forgotten about them. It seemed that her hunger had abated as a wave of new feelings washed over her, feelings that she hadn't felt before but had filled her mind completely once the commotion with Yuuki was over. The emotions had been waiting to flood her consciousness as soon as there was room; certainly the weight of her commitment that night had to fall on her at some point.

_"I want you,"_ Nodoka thought, the simple realization repeating in her head until it was a cacophony of desire. _"I want you and only you."_

At the very least, her hunger for Saki had not abated.

- - -

**Author's Notes:**  
Thank you for reading! Sorry for the bombardment of mah-jong terms last chapter, but it wouldn't be Saki without mah-jong, right? Chapter 3 is due out on May 18th! ~Kira

**Beta:** karaus


	3. Chapter 3

The moon peered down from the starry sky, shining past the clouds that littered the horizon. It was quiet, and the street lamps glowed softly, stretching alongside the worn path until they could not be seen, disappearing around a turn that in and of itself was not particularly visible. Overall, it was a pleasant evening, only being half past nine. Perhaps the only disconcerting fact was that, while the air was a pleasant temperature, there was a wind that carried the smell of summer showers, and it floated along bearing the message of a penchant for downpour.  
_  
"Not tonight,"_ Nodoka thought to herself, gazing at the clouds in the distance. The heavy smell of a warm rain was easy to recognize, but this particular evening she didn't want to recognize it at all. It was as if acknowledging her instincts and the weather around her would somehow give the storm validation to wander over and burst.

"Takei-senpai said we should be careful, she said it might rain tonight." Saki mentioned simply, her tone suggesting she didn't mind the possibility even as she presented another ounce of quantifiable reason to Nodoka's collection of denials. Her hand, already in Nodoka's, tightened slightly. "Maybe we should have brought an umbrella."

The idea that she could have asked Saki out for a walk any other night that week crossed her mind, but Nodoka flatly refused to give it leeway. Whether it was her rapidly blossoming and not wholly innocent interest in Saki, or Mako's pep talk, or both... Nodoka had become rather adamant at spending time alone with her favorite girl, and the sooner the better. The pressure in her chest that she often felt when thinking about Saki had been particularly strong lately, not to mention it had peaked at the dinner table not half an hour ago.

"I'm sure we'll be okay, if it starts to pour we could wait under a tree for it to stop." Nodoka replied. The thought of standing under a tree, huddled together with Saki, was more than agreeable. Rain or shine, moon or no moon, any reason to spend time close to Saki was a good reason. Reason enough to ignore the voice in her that was becoming louder with each step. The voice that told her it was definitely going to pour and she was definitely going to be caught in it.

"So where are we going?" Saki asked simply, abundant happiness in her voice, as she leaned over towards her companion. Her eyes looked slightly upward to maintain contact with Nodoka's as she waited for a response.

Once again Nodoka fawned over the facet of Saki's personality that allowed her to be so seemingly oblivious to the romantic nature of her earlier request while still acknowledging it in its entirely. Part of the feat was accomplished by Saki's selection of words, but as for the rest... Nodoka imagined the naturally innocent personality and air of Saki was perhaps the last piece.

But Saki's innocence stopped at the mah-jong table. It was one of her greatest strengths. Belying opponents and then crushing them with that mystical mah-jong power that Nodoka didn't really want to believe in, but silently admitted had to exist somehow.

This wasn't about mah-jong, however... This was about this evening, now. About the Saki that walked next to her. The Saki with an innocent personality, one that particularly managed to capture Nodoka's attention every time the brown-haired cutie was nearby.

"I want to go to the waterfall, but if the moon isn't shining because of a storm, I don't know if we will make it." Nodoka replied at last, glancing to smile at Saki whom bounced lightly in her sandles.

"Oh, I remember that place. I've always wanted to go back there!" Saki said enthusiastically. "I'm sure we can reach it."

"I hope you won't feel too bad if we have to put that off, though." Nodoka gave Saki's hand a squeeze, "But if that's the case, we'll just have to come out another night, right?"

"I would like that," Saki replied sincerely, not hesitating to accept Nodoka's offer. It was only a few short days more before they would be back at home, in any case. "I'm going to miss being here."

"I'm sure we'll be back, it's not going to be the same without our third-years though." Nodoka said hopefully, a hint of sorrow following her voice as she was reminded yet again of the fast passing nature of high school.

"That's true..." Saki peered up at the dark clouds as they zipped across the sky. "You'll be there though."

"I'll be there as long as you're there," Nodoka added. The notion of skipping a training camp because Saki couldn't go crossed her mind, and she contemplated the scenario, only to arrive at the simple and decisive conclusion that she would not participate should Saki not be able to come.

It was difficult to really know when the change in her feelings for Saki had occurred, but Nodoka was certain that, logically, it must have been a mix of situations that drove them together in the end. In the beginning, she had wanted to be close to Saki, and as time progressed Saki let her closer. There was not one time that she could remember that Saki ever pushed her away, yet there were countless times when Saki had let her into her private life, her thoughts, and her heart. Saki had always given her open doors, and occasionally had surprised her with honest attention and endearing affection.

_"But what about that time in the rain? She kind of hurt my feelings..."_ Nodoka thought to herself. After dashing to find the girl, Nodoka was only met with simple answers and a strange attitude. _"She wasn't trying to hurt me, though. She wasn't trying to turn me away... Mah-jong had simply been an unpleasant memory for her and she was instead turning that away."  
_  
Nodoka sighed. She understood many of the circumstances that surrounded their meeting, but she still did not have an answer to the question of 'Why?'.

Why had she chased Saki in the first place? Why had she embraced Saki that day? Nodoka could still remember the feelings she had felt in her chest, feelings that were not completely composed of a simple need to understand the mah-jong prodigy, but also of a need to become closer. _"This close, though? Did I really expect to become this..."_

"Are you thinking about something, Nodoka-chan?" Saki asked pleasantly in a demure tone that said she didn't mind at all. At the same time it was a direct question that wasn't a direct question. Rather, it was Saki's way of asking what Nodoka was thinking about specifically, without coming across as meddlesome.

Glancing at Saki, Nodoka blushed slightly, not sure if she could grant the adorable girl holding her hand the simple one-word answer of 'You', an endearing conception that succinctly presented the truth without saying too much, too fast.

"A little, I seem to be thinking a lot lately and not paying attention when I should be." Nodoka replied, the lengthy response deftly sidestepping the easy yet possibly embarrassing alternate answer. _"Am I getting scared to do this? I had a lot of nerve to say what I said to Saki-san earlier today at the temple."_

"Oh?" Saki replied, the rising intonation in her voice suggesting to Nodoka that she should continue explaining.

_"Maybe she's thinking about the same thing I am, maybe that's why she wants to hear my thoughts so much,"_ Nodoka wondered to herself. She turned back to see the road stretching before them.

The light posts were becoming less frequent and the incline had increased as they inched closer to the waterfall. The scant glow of the moon barely lit the road, clouds now concealing most of its gentle light, and as Nodoka took in the situation she began to worry that perhaps the trip was a bit much for her. The voice in her head, the one of logic that she normally listened to completely, was becoming quite loud. She wasn't particularly fond of complete darkness, torrential storms and of creepy shadows in the mostly unfamiliar woods. The glow of the training camp lodge could no longer be seen. Her face took on an expression of consternation as the disagreeable scenario passed through her thoughts. _"As long as there is no thunder..."_

"Nodoka-chan?" Saki inquired, concerned. It was hard to miss the distress on Nodoka's face, especially since she was paying sole attention to her presently distressed companion.

"Umm, well..." Nodoka began, fumbling for words. She had no intention of turning back when she had come this far, and a part of her didn't want to burden Saki with the knowledge that she might be becoming frightened of the environment around them. The last thing she wanted in this moment was for Saki to worry about her.

"You... You don't like big storms, do you?" Saki asked quietly. "I was thinking about that a little... Last time you were scared by the thunder outside of the library."

"I don't really like them," Nodoka replied slowly, her body moving ever closer to Saki, pushed on by what seemed to be her subconscious will. "I hope it doesn't come near us."

Saki smiled as she felt Nodoka's shoulder against hers. Several moments of silence followed. The roar of the waterfall could now be heard in the distance, the sound of the crashing water floating through the windy air.

"Do you remember that time when you chased me in the thunder? When you dashed out of the clubhouse to find me?" Saki asked, using the same tone as before.

"I don't think I could ever forget that day," Nodoka answered immediately, the memory still fresh in her mind from minutes ago as the simple realization of Saki's own thoughts dawned on her. _"She was thinking about the same thing!"_

"You weren't afraid that day, not at all." Saki continued, her eyes roaming to meet Nodoka's, even in the dark light. "I hope it wasn't because you were too busy being angry with me."

_"Either it's coincidence she's baiting me, or this is Saki's not-so innocent self setting me up to give her a direct answer."_ Nodoka mused, smiling. So busy thinking about a reply for Saki, she didn't realize that they were now on the last stretch before the base of the waterfall.

"I wasn't angry with you, not yet at least." Nodoka started, casting about for words. She had thought about that day many times since it had happened, but still she could find no absolute motive for her erratic behavior. "I was angry afterwords, I felt that you were being disrespectful to all the people that tried their hardest to play mah-jong."

"I'm sorry I was so caught up in my feelings," Saki replied sincerely.

She had already been forgiven, but Nodoka knew it was still troubling for her. Nodoka knew that her family troubles were still on-going, too. Mah-jong in the Miyanaga family had a dark side that perhaps rivaled the catacombs of Koromo's past, and that was scary enough. Still, Nodoka couldn't help but hope that one day Saki would entrust her with the details of that piece of her past.

"You don't have to say sorry for that anymore," Nodoka reproved. "We went through all that, remember?"

"Of course, you were the first person that ever helped me to enjoy mah-jong." Saki's eyes watered slightly as she remembered the afternoon on the wing dam at the river near her home. "Your help that day, for everything... even my Dad couldn't do that."

"Why not?" Nodoka asked, the curiosity of the elusive 'why' striking her yet again.

"My Dad never chased me like you did," Saki replied, a hint of humor in her voice before she slowed her words to continue. "He never tried to help me enjoy mah-jong, either. I couldn't go to him. He is my Dad, but... I guess we don't really talk about those kind of things."

The sound of the falls was close now, and the slight reflection in the water gushing over the edge could be seen in the distance. Nodoka noticed it first, but rather then acknowledge it immediately she glanced back to Saki.

"It's sad when you don't have someone to go to," Nodoka mentioned softly. "I haven't had someone to talk to for a long a time... Not like this, not like you."

Saki blushed, and while it was not visible in the dim light, Nodoka was plainly aware of it as the previously chatting girl had not immediately responded to her directed remark.

"We are almost at the edge of the water, I guess we won't be able to really see it so much though." Nodoka said gently, breaking the bout of wordlessness. "The sound is nice though."

After a few more minutes they had reached the rocks that bordered the plunge pool of the falls. Saki had not said another word, and Nodoka wasn't sure whether she was still embarrassed or instead was taking in the sound of the water.

The waterfall itself was visible as the pale moonlight gleamed off the surface of the cascade, and it fell into the pool below, creating dark black and soft white ripples that radiated outward from the unending barrage of cool water. It was very much like what Nodoka remembered, but it immediately hit her that it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same as before.

Before, Saki had offered her a hand on the stones in the water, and she had hesitantly accepted it. She had found a friendly smile on Saki's face and she had taken her hand, curious and maybe a little confused. She had only just begun to understand Saki then, but now...

This time was different. This time, rather then the pretense of tagging along, Nodoka had specifically asked Saki to come. This time she would not have come if Saki wasn't there. She would have never even dreamed of being at the waterfalls in the dark of night during the coming of a storm. And this time... This time she was truly not alone because Saki was genuinely there for her, not because of where they were going. It had been a secret, after all.

A secret place is surely an intriguing adventure, but surely Saki had adventured around everywhere there was to see in this small part of the world already. Surely there wasn't a mystery awaiting somewhere that she had thought Nodoka would show her.  
_  
"Well,"_ Nodoka smiled to herself, _"I suppose the mystery is what happens next. At least for Saki."_

Nodoka's smile didn't last very long. A crack of thunder rolled in the distance from behind, and before Nodoka could think she had embraced Saki, digging her head into the soft shoulder that awaited her. Part of her suddenly wanted to move away in embarrassment, and even if she had had the willpower to do so, the notion was quickly nullified when Saki returned the embrace.

_"Is this how it's going to be?"_ Nodoka wondered to herself. The booming heavens had perhaps driven her great plan into the ground in that very instant, dashing her scheme for the evening into such a disarray that she vaguely imagined the pieces would not come back together in time to execute them.

"It's okay, Nodoka-chan," Saki coaxed softly. "The thunder is kind of far away."

Nodoka murmured something unintelligible, but it was apparent that Saki took it to understand "Please don't let me go."

It wasn't long before a great dark mass of clouds passed before the moon, and shortly after the great glowing orb in the sky had vanished the beginning of a thick rain had started. The precipitation came in great sheets, and with poor vision aided by Saki's guidance, Nodoka came to be under the nearest large tree, still tight in Saki's arms.

In the space of less then a minute both of their yukata had become completely saturated. Water dripped freely from their hair, and ran down their necks in small rivulets, to the dry earth below. The rainwater was wet of course, but it was not particularly cold.

The thick green of the tree above was managing to keep the rain at bay well, but it did nothing to block the sound of rumbling thunder that continued to roll across the nearby valley, and so Nodoka's hold of Saki endured.

It was curious, however. Nodoka felt as though the storm really wasn't that scary as long as she was in Saki's arms. As long as the tender, sweet girl held her, it was all okay and nothing could touch her. She felt like maybe she would have had the courage to let go and weather the storm unphased, much like Saki was capable of, but she couldn't bring herself to attempt it. She couldn't bring herself to let go of the one person that she had wanted to be so close to, especially like this, all day.

Nodoka's face became flushed as her mind diverted its attention from the storm around her to the storm in her heart and mind. There was no way she could let go of Saki; there was no force of nature that could pull her away from Saki now, even as she became embarrassed of clinging onto the brown haired girl so intently.

Presented with the predicament, Nodoka soon realized that the storm was the only validation she needed to keep the bashfulness from over taking her, and it was then that she found herself in the ironic situation of wanting the thunder and lightning to continue as long as possible.

- - -

Thank you for reading! Chapter 4 will be released on May 25th. ~Kira  
**  
Beta:** karaus


	4. Chapter 4

The storm raged on, the downpour beginning to cut through the thick foliage of the branches overhead. The wind blew the smaller boughs about viciously, leaves and twigs sometimes blowing off with the gusts that didn't seem to want to relent. Of course, neither the rain nor the branches could be seen, and it was only by audible cues that it could be concluded they were involved within the fierce forces of nature.

It could also be concluded that Nodoka's entire being was involved within the fierce forces of nature as well, but within her these forces were quite different than the blowing summer storm. Her unrelenting hold of Saki had continued for several minutes now, and her heart was beating in her chest faster then it had ever beat before. It was like she had suddenly been scared out of her wits, but not quite. Her fear of the storm had long abated, and now her heart beat with the intensity of the situation. The energy of nature around her added to this ardor, but in the end it came in second.

It was second to Saki. Nothing could compare with the warmth of her skin, nor her embrace, nor the rhythm of her heart as it beat happily in her chest. Nothing came close to Saki's breath across a neck that was still wet from the rain. A breath that sent happiness tingling throughout Nodoka's body with a certain consistency that could still be sought after, even during the exhale's dance upon her skin.

Surrounded by the white noise of the falling rain, the yukata blowing in the warm wind of the storm, and the sound of the waterfall that was really quite close but presently sounded so far off... Nodoka was too caught up in the moment to notice that the thunder and lightning had ended. The blush that had spread across her face had not abated for even a second, and rather it had remained as a reminder that the feelings in her heart were bubbling up to the surface with no end in sight.

"Nodoka-chan," Saki said just loud enough for Nodoka to hear, her gentle voice carrying on the wind like words in a dream. "Nodoka-chan," came the voice again shortly later.

In the dark of the night, and unable to make out much at all under the thick blanket of clouds, Nodoka lifted her head slowly. Her cheek brushed along Saki's, and upon her nose she could feel a lock of Saki's wet hair as it clung to her. Even amidst the smell of the storm, she could plainly make out the scent of Saki's delicate skin, and even though she had only had a few opportunities in the past to truly smell that scent, she knew it well, coveting it fervently whenever she could.

Nodoka could feel Saki's arms fidget, and moments later they ever so slightly started to move, and soon she could distinctly feel the pressure of Saki's hands across her back. Soon it was plainly aware that they were moving upwards, fingers tracing invisible lines up her sides, lines that she could see with a clear and vivid imagination as they slowly ascended, leaving cascading sensations of yearning running throughout her body, echoing amongst every single cell and eradicating the void of longing that had swelled and massed over what she had felt like was an eternity.

Nodoka heard her name called again. The gentle voice of the angel in front of her filled her ears but did nothing to lessen the beautiful daze she found herself in. On the contrary, it only heightened the feelings that formed as Saki's fingers reached her shoulders after such a slow, graceful deliberation. Nodoka's eyes fluttered closed on their own, though she couldn't see much as it was. By the time Saki's touch had reached her neck, she didn't think they would open even if she wanted them to.

Wrapped up in the moment, Nodoka was only distantly aware that Saki's hands trembled ever so slightly as they reached the sides of her head. She was only distantly aware of her memories that concluded that Saki tended to be rather forward when it came to physical action, versus her inability to reply forwardly to words of endearment. It struck her that Saki was nervous, but of course, she was only distantly aware of this. All she wanted in that moment was for more, and she would not, and perhaps could not, do anything to stop the procession as it was currently happening.

"I..." Saki began, her voice trailing off into the wind as words escaped her.

With little notice, Nodoka soon became aware of the proximity of her lips to Saki's. Hands had guided her head firmly from the side of Saki's face to the front, and now... Now it was clear what was happening. The realization was icing on top of a cake that was already of cavity-inducing sweetness.

Before she knew it their lips had met.

Saki's lips were small and soft, Nodoka noticed instantly. They were delicious in the way that they tasted: soft, and girly, and cute, and innocent. They tasted of all the things that Saki was to her, that Saki meant to her. They moved gently, pressing themselves against Nodoka's for several long moments before pulling away, leaving her to revel in the magical feeling that had surged through her like lightning through the sky, illuminating even the darkest corners and inspiring a certain sense of awe. An awe that appreciated that such things were possible.

"I..." Saki began again, her face red all the way across, but even though it seemed she had planned to finish the sentence this time, she was unable to.

Forgetting her worries, Nodoka had closed the distance between their lips yet again. Words could wait. The wondrous feeling of kissing the impossibly sweet girl before her overtook her senses yet again, the intoxication of the intimate exchange running through her veins like morphine. Nothing hurt, there were no worries, there was only happiness and it coursed through her body.

Nodoka parted the kiss to take a breath of air, certain that it wasn't their last.

"Sa-Saki-san..." Nodoka started, resting her forehead against Saki's as her wits and wind came back to her. "That was..."

"Well, umm..." Saki replied after a pause, her own words splayed about her mind in different pieces, and only after several long seconds more did she manage to continue. "I never appropriately answered you today."

"Oh?" Nodoka asked, and she smiled as she remembered Saki's bashful reply from earlier that day. "You mean at the temple?"

"Mmm." Saki was maybe still a little embarrassed with her words. Maybe she was just embarrassed in general, but of course, it hadn't stopped her from holding hands or being close in the past. It certainly hadn't stopped her from sharing a kiss this evening.

And that was okay. In her post-kiss reverie, Nodoka mused foggily that perhaps Saki was the one that could act first, and perhaps she was the one that could speak first, and in the end it would probably be just fine. _"Just kiss me and it will always be fine..."_

"Is it okay if I take your kiss as a reply, instead?" Nodoka offered, and she found it interesting that she could say such things only moments after losing her senses to Saki's onslaught of affection. The words came quite naturally, and maybe logically that didn't really make sense. Logically, maybe she would have been less direct because logically, shouldn't she be more embarrassed? Or was she forgetting to be embarrassed, speaking under the influence of delicious intoxication?

"Yes... Well, but..." Saki began. Her cute voice was delightful as she floundered for words she didn't use often. "I wanted to tell you that... I want to be with you forever."

They were words from Saki that Nodoka was sure she wanted to be the only one to hear. They were like a magical password that meant everything would be okay. They were like a magical force that would always give her hope, and the ability to avoid loneliness and despair. They were like a magical heat that made her heart melt, a warmth that could penetrate the cold and the dark, even in the middle of a storm. In the middle of this storm. And perhaps even, they were dangerous words too. Words her parents certainly didn't want to know about, but surely... Those words would carry her through that uncertainty as well.

As her mind raced with sudden possibility, Nodoka smiled. She smiled the biggest smile she had ever smiled, wider and brighter then the smile she had worn after progressing to the national championships.

"That... Makes me very happy to hear that, Saki-san." Nodoka replied. "I want to be with you forever, too. But that means that I want to spend time with you outside of school, and on the weekends also... Whenever we can."

The rain had slowed down to a soft drizzle, and the wind had faded into a gentle breeze, yet the moon remained hidden behind clouds. Nodoka felt Saki's check against her own again, and the comforting warmth traveled into her now relaxed smile.

"I... I would like that a lot," Saki agreed happily, doing her best to avoid using the words she favored when she was overly bashful. "But I still want to play mah-jong with you, too."

"There will be lots of that," Nodoka promised quickly, reminded again of the side of Saki that enjoyed the simple pleasures of a good hanchan. "But, I guess I really want you to know that I am here for you, for whatever you need, or whatever happens."

"You... You don't mean if something were to happen with my family, do you?" Saki asked, the tone of her voice suggesting that she was looking for an answer quite the opposite of her words. The topic seemed to have clung to her conscious thoughts, even after a delightful evening.

"Yes, I am." Nodoka responded resolutely. She had given thought to the matter earlier that day, but especially now after that wonderful kiss, she felt as though she had to be there for Saki. It was a somewhat unexplainable feeling, however she found it easily strange to shrug the motion off that it was perhaps illogical. "But I am talking about everything else, too."

"I don't want to burden you too much, you've already done so much for me, Nodo-"

Saki never finished her sentence. Nodoka had taken advantage of their closeness and quickly silenced the worries with another kiss.

Nodoka had wanted a kiss anyways, Saki's lips were like a bowl of small candies that you couldn't stop picking from, and chances are the growing habit would never be broken. You could never have just one, or two. She parted her lips from Saki's.

"I want to be there for you," Nodoka said at last, savoring the sweet interruption she had instigated. "Is that maybe too... forward?" The question was probably unnecessary. _"This whole day has been forward,"_ she thought to herself.

Resting her head on Nodoka's shoulder, Saki sighed, letting the now gentle sounds of nature fill the void of the discussion for several moments.

"I..." Saki started, rummaging about for words she already had running through her head. "No, it isn't... But..."

"But what, Saki-san?"

"I don't want to let you down. I don't know anything about something like... like this. It's confusing a little, and I am doing things I haven't done with anyone before... Maybe you will always be taking care of me because I am always getting lost, or maybe I make you upset because I forget about your..." Saki rattled, the words slipping off her tongue in a certain disarray until they were interrupted by the sensation of Nodoka's hand on the back of her head, running through her wet, messy hair in tentative, yet needy strokes.

"Don't you think I feel the same way?"

"You never get lost..." Saki replied sheepishly, to which Nodoka smirked.

"This is my first time promising these things to someone, Saki-san. It sounds like it's yours too."

Saki nodded gently, a murmur escaping her lips that had no words. Nodoka was right, of course.

"You always try your hardest for me. When you let me down, I sometimes think it was my fault. I sometimes think that I should have been there to support you sooner, because whenever I come to support you when you are feeling low, you are always happy and you always keep trying." Nodoka explained, in the process feeling Saki's head inch as close as possible to her neck. "And, well... Since I met you, you were always there for me."

Nodoka couldn't help but feel part of Saki's lonely past as the girl's head rested intimately on her shoulder. The past that had ended not so long ago when the brown-haired prodigy had joined the mah-jong club. The past that had made her angry with Saki when they had first met each other. The past that was certainly not the Saki she knew... Not the happy, gentle, and loving Saki she knew.

"Isn't that troublesome, though? Shouldn't you not have to worry about me?" Saki asked softly, her voice close to Nodoka's ear.

'Would it sound strange if I said that I liked it?" Nodoka replied.

"Really?"

"I think it's an adorable part of you, actually. You aren't very aware of it sometimes... But I guess... I guess I like it when you need my attention. And I like being there with you." Nodoka smiled as she remembered the time she ran to meet Saki in the tournament room. Even though it was upsetting to see Saki disheartened at that time, even though Saki was not acting on behalf of her promises to go to the Nationals... Saki needed her. Saki had given her a place to be.

Maybe that was it. Maybe that was the reason why Saki was so important to her.

"Hey, Saki-san..." Nodoka asked tentatively as her mind switched tracks.

"Mm?" Saki's closed mouth reply was cute and endearing, the soft sound coming from her throat smoothly.

"You haven't kissed anyone like that before, have you?" Nodoka's tone wasn't necessarily interrogating about a past love, but rather... Her curiosity had gotten the best of her as she remembered what she was sure had been Saki's first kiss.

"No, not like that. Was it okay?"

Nodoka smiled. Leave it to Saki to ask a question that would be awkward in most situations, with most people.

"Of course," Nodoka replied, "But, how did you learn how to do it so nicely?"

"Well, umm..." Saki started, her arms fidgeting slightly against Nodoka. "I watched a lot of movies before the trip. I don't know if they helped at all, but..."

_"So she had planned to kiss me then?"_ Nodoka thought to herself. Saki who was a little clumsy, who would do things on a whim if she was sufficiently interested and was asked... Saki would premeditatedly study kissing for her, then enact it as a plan? _"See, this is why I'm fond of her. There are those times I just can't put a finger on the way her mind works... I guess times like these just make me want to..."_

"Hey, Nodoka-chan..." Saki's voice managed to interrupt Nodoka's train of thought.

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking about?" Saki asked innocently.

Nodoka wondered if Saki's mysterious ability to read tiles in the dead wall seemed to apply to reading minds as well. Pondering the possiblity of destroying the innocence of the question, Nodoka came to the conclusion that maybe it was best left for another time.

"Not much, shall we go? I don't even hear drizzle now." Nodoka suggested.

Saki's hand slipped into her's in acknowledgment, and as that happened it suddenly occurred to Nodoka that Saki might have read those last thoughts as well. For several nagging moments she contemplated the possibility, but in the end it was clear that Saki wouldn't push the issue further, and Nodoka felt that perhaps it was safe to let it go for the time being. She turned her attention back to the wonderful girl.

Saki was there and ready to go with her, just like always. This time was a little different though. No longer did she have to wonder when the brown-haired beauty would take her hand as a partner outside of mah-jong and school. No longer would she have to hold back from displaying her affection out of fear Saki wasn't ready. But of course, Saki was there and ready to go, like always but perhaps this time without perceived barriers. Perhaps even, Saki was more ready than her for the wonderful adventures that lay ahead.

Perhaps the aspiring romantic had watched something a step past kissing, too. It was a nice thought, at least.

- - -

I left it off at chapter 3, so hopefully this chapter was nice enough to make up for that hehe. Chapter 5 is due out June 1st. ~Kira

**Beta:** karaus


	5. Chapter 5

The training camp lodge was in sight now, and the lamps along the roadside managed to light the otherwise dark and relatively narrow road. The moon had yet to reappear from behind the storm clouds, though as for the rest of the evening, it had become quite pleasant. The smell of the fresh rain was a delightful addition to the mellow breeze that followed in the wake of the short, but fierce tempest.

Both Nodoka and Saki were still relatively wet from the recent downpour, but it didn't seem to matter very much. Their yukata were certainly a bit dirty from stepping in puddles, and there must have been more than a few layers of mud on their ankles, but it wasn't paid any heed. Nodoka, whom normally would have minded such a disheveled appearance, had her mind on other things: one of those being the presence of Saki's soft, small hand in hers.

It struck Nodoka that Saki had decimated countless players with that same hand in mah-jong. Her ability to pickup and discard tiles was almost a performance, and more than once she had caught Saki executing legal plays using slight of hand to confuse her competition. It was mysterious devilry when Saki's unexplainable luck was added into the equation, and Nodoka was again faced with the subtle irony of Saki's innocent demeanor contrasted with her ruthless gameplay._ "She's pretty good with the tiles, isn't she..."_ Nodoka mused thoughtfully.

"Nodoka-chan..." Saki began, "I've always wanted to ask you..."

"Oh?" Nodoka's mind drifted back to the pleasant expression of cute hesitation on Saki's face. "What is it?"

"Well, umm... You know that time when I had my book by the water..."

"I don't think I could ever really forget that, that was the first time I saw you." Nodoka mentioned softly as she remembered the rather interesting afternoon of that day. The same day her heart was stolen out from under her nose.

"I thought you were pretty. I was too embarrassed to say anything, but I thought you were pretty." Saki explained slowly, adding, "Is it strange that I thought that way?"

"I think it's a little late to ask that," Nodoka offered quietly, "I don't think it's strange, and it would be fair to say that I thought you were cute that day. I saw you sitting there, and I knew you were watching me... You were shy though."

The pleasantries of that memory, while littered with riddles that Nodoka were sure had logical answers, were still a bright light in her life. Everything had started that day. It was the beginning of a great journey, one where she had found a burning passion for another human being that rivaled all she had ever known. Certainly, she had eyed classmates in the past, but nothing comparable to this. Nothing comparable to such an adamant force that threw her towards Saki, all the while remaining absent of the comfortable reasoning she normally possessed and diligently wielded.

"So, umm..." Saki began again as they made their way by a small pool of water that reflected only a scant amount light. While the words waited on the tip of her tongue, she bounced lightly over the puddle with certain glee, remaining mindful that Nodoka's hand was still in hers. As her pace resumed she moved back closer to Nodoka's waiting shoulder, finding comfort in it once again as the evening silence returned.

It was hard to tell if Saki's mind had wandered from the task of speaking to the joys of puddle-jumping, but Nodoka didn't mind either way. She had come to appreciate Saki's innate ability to just be there with her; to provide her a sense of wholeness that she had not felt before. Holding hands, watching her smile, saying something that embarrassed the brown-haired bundle of smiles... Nodoka had been quick to realize how much they meant to her. Even Saki's loss of words at the moment had a certain endearing quality that she could easily treasure regardless of the circumstances.

_"Well, she also might be quiet if she ever becomes upset with me," _Nodoka thought to herself, but she brushed off the notion quickly. Saki had never been upset with her in all their time together, and certainly tonight was not the night to worry about the remote possibility that the cute little mah-jong monster would ever become disagreeable with her. _"She's only been upset about things besides me, I guess."_

"Oh! I was going to say..." Saki said abruptly, her face bright as she remembered her train of thought from before. She stepped forward onto one of the large earthen steps that lead up to the _onsen _at the rear of the lodge. "You followed me in the rain again tonight even though you don't like storms. Well, maybe it was more like you went outside even though you knew it was going to rain..."

"It might not have... rained, you know..." Nodoka replied, blushing slightly as she noted that Saki had been keen to remind her of her odd tendencies. In particular, it was the tendencies that didn't really make sense, and she had to wonder if Saki took pleasure in poking fun of her more irrational decisions and reactions.

"Wouldn't you maybe want to be inside during a storm though?" Saki asked, curious. "I mean, normally that's what we do, right? We have sometimes even sent Kyou-chan out in the rain for lunch because you didn't want to be caught in any thunder."

"Well..." Nodoka began with a sigh, quite aware that she was still blushing. "Going out in the storm just for lunch is kind of silly. The storms pass quickly enough, right? And there really isn't much reason to just run out and..." Her words ended abruptly as they formed in her mind, but not in her mouth.

"And?" Saki inquired, her eyes glimmering for the slightest of seconds in the light that radiated from the building ahead.

Nodoka was sure she had seen a flash of precognition in that moment, and it made it even harder for her to continue her explanation. For whatever reason, it almost seemed pointless to finish her thought. She looked up into the sky biding her time, noticing that a few stars were now appearing faintly in between the dark clouds. _"She already knows what I'm going to say, but she wants to hear it anyways. At least I think so. I suppose she would be the type to like to hear what I have to say."_

Turning back to Saki as light began to noticeably flood the path, Nodoka found the soft eyes and warm smile her gaze had needlessly left. Inquiring eyes that always met hers, and that adorable face she could always turn to no matter what. The face she could turn to with no care for the conditions, knowing that whatever happened, it would be there for her.

"I guess in the end, I'd run out in the storm any day for you, Saki-san." Nodoka replied at last, only to soon add, "Well, I'd chase after you anywhere," as she remembered the times she also sought after Saki in the prefectural tournament building.

It was no secret that she had a habit of seeking Saki when she knew something was wrong. Certainly Saki herself was aware of this, but it could also be said that everyone else in the Kiyosumi high school mah-jong club was quite aware of her habitual quests to find Saki as well, but as of yet no one had mentioned anything about it. In fact, it had felt more like some sort of silent game that Nodoka was not included in nor privy to, while still being the focus. The notion was reinforced in Nodoka's mind by many instances, but more particularly by memories of Hisa's knowing expression whenever she was about to chase after Saki, and by Hisa's eyes on the back of her head as she left in pursuit. This day had been no exception.

Nodoka noted that the feelings she felt during those times, when she had dashed haphazardly to find Saki, were not unlike the feelings she had felt when she first ran to Saki on that fateful afternoon. The day that changed everything. The day that feelings had appeared from nowhere and grew stronger with each passing day, feelings that seemed to be synergetically working to draw her ever closer to Saki whether she wanted them to or not. If they could send her out in the middle of a storm for Saki when they had only just met... Certainly she was powerless to them.

"That's why, I guess," Nodoka mused to herself out loud, accepting the notion as a piece of the puzzle she had been playing in her head over the course of the day.

"Mm? What is it?" Saki asked soon after, leaning in with an adorable expression that Nodoka would certainly never be able to resist and tightening her hold of Nodoka's hand. "You've figured something out?"

It was easy to smile when Saki was being her cute self. Well, she was pretty much always her cute self. Nodoka stopped her procession up the steps to the lodge and turned to face the curious girl, leading her own body into Saki's and wrapping her free arm around the tender girl.

"Did you ever think about why I chased after you that day?" Nodoka asked, her voice sincere and inviting, hopeful that she would perhaps acquire another piece to the game she played with herself.

"Well, yes..." Saki began slowly as pink tinged her facial features. She wrapped her own free arm around Nodoka and leaned in to rest on her shoulder. "I don't really know why though, you barely knew me, and I was not being sociable with you, and... umm..."

"And what?" Nodoka asked softly, suddenly sensing an unexpected trace of sorrow in Saki's words and imagining that she was probably thinking through something difficult.

"And.. well... Before I met you, I didn't have any friends really. Not even at my old school. Not like the people in the mah-jong club. I knew Kyou-chan, but... Kyou-chan never understood." Saki explained, her hand fumbling slightly on Nodoka's yukata.

_"He's kind of got a one track mind, you know," _Nodoka thought to herself as she waited for Saki to continue, slightly upset now that Kyoutarou could have probably been more attentive to Saki in the past. Perhaps it was her 'significant other' protective feelings for Saki that caused her to become upset, but she relished in them for specifically that reason. _"My Saki-san."_

"Well, I guess..." Saki started again, prompting Nodoka's thoughts to return to the present. "I wanted you to to come after me."

"Wait, what?" Nodoka leaned back to look at Saki, her thoughts completely derailed from before by the answer. "What do you mean?"

"Like, you know... How you really want something, but you can never ask for it?" Saki buried her face into Nodoka's neck as her cheeks grew redder.

"Yes, I know that feeling..." Nodoka released her hold of Saki's hand and wrapped the arm around the soft body of her companion.

"Well, before I met you I would always lay awake at night and wish for someone to chase me... Like anything would ever happen by wishing that way, but..." Saki continued, fidgeting against Nodoka. "It happened, didn't it? And the first time I didn't even realize it. I left you there in the rain like a jerk and walked home, and came back the next day like nothing had really happened, and then... and then... We played mah-jong and I made you cry and I didn't really know why. You ran past me, and I realized in that moment that I had what I had been wishing for all along... That someone had come after me and I didn't notice because I had believed for some reason it was impossible, or something, and... and..."

"Saki-san," Nodoka said simply, leaning closer to Saki, "It's okay now."

Nodoka had a hard time avoiding the thought that perhaps Saki had been keeping her feelings about the present matter locked inside, though she knew better then to trust Saki to always voice what was going on in her head. Not only did Saki try to avoid causing trouble, she also was generally quiet when they were around other people.

"I feel like you were the one I was waiting for," Saki added, her words slightly muffled because of her proximity to Nodoka's neck. Her breath fell pleasantly across Nodoka's throat as she spoke. "I know that doesn't make much sense, I don't know if you could call it luck even that I met you... It just feels right."

Logically, it made no sense at all. If Saki had never played mah-jong as a child, they would probably not be together right now. If Saki had never returned to the club room the day after she had walked away from her that stormy evening, they probably would not have kissed half an hour ago. There was such a multitude of what-ifs that if Nodoka could possibly recount them all, she would wind up with such an infinitesimally small probability that by logic alone they wouldn't be together in each other's arms right now.

_"It just feels right..." _ The words played through Nodoka's mind until she could think of nothing else. It was interesting how everything Saki had said could make sense even without a solid conclusion, and while Nodoka could not place a finger on how to describe the force that brought her and Saki together, she was glad it existed somewhere. She was glad that somewhere, according to some plan of the universe, or some spiritual system, or some ridiculous thing called luck, or something more than luck, she and Saki were meant to be together.

And perhaps that was all that mattered.

- - -

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you have moment. This concludes the story. There is a lot more to be written, but it doesn't fit into this fiction. _~ Kira (6/1/10)_

**Know When This Storyline is Continued!** Add me to your favorite author or author alert list. You will also be able to track updates and releases for other fandoms. _I also post updates in my profile._

**Sunshine**, a Hidamari Sketch fanfiction, is slated to begin on June 15th and will be released weekly on Tuesdays. Please check out my profile to see the link to catch the prologue (it's actually a teaser because I'm mean).

**Beta:** karaus


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